Pneumatic thread remover



March 3, 1953 J. T. KENNEDY 2,630,143

PNEUMATIC THREAD REMOVER Filed June 14, 1951 2 SHEETSSHEET l FIG.I

INVENTOR JOHN T. KENNEDY ATTORNEY March 3, 1953 J. T. KENNEDY 2,630,143

PNEUMATIC THREAD REMOVER Filed June 14. 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 I INVENTOR JOHN T. KENNEDY T. Hub,

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 3, .1953

PNEUMATIC THREAD REMOVER John T. Kennedy, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, at corporation of Massachusetts Application June 14, 1951, Serial No. 231,577

This invention relates to improvements in pneumatic thread removers more particularly for the outgoing thread incident to a weft replenishing operation of a bobbin changing loom and it is the general object of the invention to provide a remover having bodily and angular motions which enable it to get control of the outgoing thread.

When a bobbin changing operation occurs .in a weft replenishing loom the outgoing depleted bobbin always leaves a thread which extends to the selvage and if this thread is .not removed there is danger that it may be whippedinto the warp shed and produce a defect in the cloth being woven. It has been proposed heretofore to remove this outgoing thread by pneumatic means which moves down toward the thread and then relies on backward .motionof the lay subsequent to cutting of the thread .to move the thread into the zone of pneumatic influence .of the remover.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a pneumatic thread remover having a head or the like provided with a thread catching hook leading toward a pneumatic passage and wherein the head rocks so that the hook moves downwardly and forwardly to enable the hook to pass under and catch the thread earlier than heretofore in the loom cycle [at about the time of cutting of the thread at the shuttle. By this arrangement the thread is caught while the lay is advancing and before it has had time to become misplaced with respect to the remover.

In order to conserve pneumatic pressure it has been proposed heretofore to reduce the cross section of the air path through a pneumatic thread remover when the latter is in its normal idle position and increase the area of the path only when the remover is in operating position. The remover, however is in its operating position for approximately half a beat-of the loom, and when the remover is connected to :a system in which pneumatic pressures are stored the :increase in the area of air path causesaconsiderable reduction of pressure within the reservoir and this reduction may interfere with the correct operation of the remover.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a thread remover which on a repleni hing beat of the loom moves from its .normal idleposition to an abnormal position and wherein the air path is of reduced area when the remover is in its abnormal as well asnormal positions and is fully open only momentarily to exert full 13 Claims. (01. 139256) pneumatic force on the thread when the remover is in motion and in an intermediate position between its extreme positions.

It is a further object of the inventiontoprovide a. pneumatic thread remover employing a lever movable about a stationary axis and having a head rotatable thereon at a point spaced from the axis and connected to an operating rod or the like which effects turning of the head With respect to the lever as the latter is moving from its abnormal position back to normal idle posi- .tion to provide the aforesaid angular motion of the remover head. In this way the aforesaid hook can start from a position above and behind theoutgoing thread and move downwardly and forwardly under the thread and then continue forwardly and upwardly to support the thread when the parts return to normal position.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a pneumatic thread remover unit which can be readily applied to weft replenishing looms .now in use.

Many looms having pneumatic removers have a strip of plushembedded in the lay under the .shuttle path to frictionally engage the thread.

Itis a further object of the invention to provide the aforesaid head with a thread stop spaced from the thread hook but cooperating with it and the plush to prevent escape of the thread from the zone of influence of the subatmospheric pressures which attract the thread.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example the embodiments of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of part of a weft replenishing loom showing the invention in normal position,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the lower part of the thread remover shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3, is a front elevation looking in the direction ofarrow 3, Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line d4, Fig. 3, showing the thread, remover head in normal position,

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5-5, Fig. 3,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section on line 66, Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the stud On which the thread remover head is pivoted,

Fig. 8 is a view showing the remover head in its abnormal position preparatory to a thread removing operation,

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8, but showing the thread remover head in an intermediate position as its hook engages the weft thread, and

Figs. 10 and 11 are diagrammatic views showing the manner of operation of the invention.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the loom frame I supports a reserve bobbin magazine M adapted for multicolor work and including a setting shaft 2 connected to a depending rod 3 which controls a transferrer latch 4 pivoted to a transferrer arm 5. The transferrer arm is pivoted on a stud 6 fixed with respect to the magazine and is rocked in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 when the latch 4 is pushed forwardly by a bunter l on the lay.

The magazine has secured thereto a stand ll) having a stud l l on which is pivoted a lever designated generally at I2. The lever has a rearwardly extending arm I3 connected to an upright rod I4 the upper end of which is connected to an arm l5 secured to the shaft 2. Lever I2 has a depending arm I6 which as shown herein is pivoted as at I! to a part I8 of lever 12 and is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 1 with respect to the arm I3 by a compression spring l 9.

A shuttle position detector 2t is pivoted at 2! to the magazine and is connected to an ascending rod 22 the upper end of which is connected to an arm 23 secured to shaft 2. The lay L has a shuttle box 24 the back 25 of which as shown in Figs. 1 and 8 is formed with a curved or cam face 26 for engagement with the under side 21 of the shuttle position detector 23.

In the operation of the mechanism thus far described the parts will normally be in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the latch 4 down, with arm I6 forward, to the right as viewed in Fig. l,

and with the shuttle position detector 28 raised above the path of surface 26 as the lay swings back and forth in usual manner. When a replenishing operation is initiated by well-known mechanism not described herein the shaft 2 is rocked in such a direction that rod I4 is raised and turns lever I2 to move arm I I5 rearwardly to its abnormal position, see Fig. 8, and rod 22 is depressed to move the shuttle detector 26 to the detecting position shown in Fig. 8. At the same time rod 3 acts to lift latch 4 into the path of the bunter 'I. If the shuttle is properly placed fora replenishing operation the surface 26 engages the rear edge 21 of the shuttle detector 23 and lifts it to reset the shaft 2 while the transferrer arm is descending. During this resetting of shaft 2 the .arm [6 will be returned to its forward normal idle position. If the shuttle should be misplaced it will engage the detector 23 relatively early in the forward beat of the lay and effect resetting of the shaft 2 and movement of latch 4 out of the path of the hunter before a transferring operation can be started.

The matter thus far described is usual in multi-- color weft replenishing looms and is made and operates in the usual'manner. The lay L is provided with a body of pile fabric 23, such as plush, located in a transverse slot 29 in the lay under the shuttle path. This plush may be sim ilar to that heretofore employed with pneumatic thread removers.

In carrying the present invention into effect the lower end of arm I3 is provided with a thread remover head designated generally at H. This head is pivoted on a hollow stud 33 which is held to the lower end of arm I 3 by a set screw 3i. Stud 30 extends substantially parallel to the lay and has an air passage 32 therein t3 communicate with the interior of a hose or pipe 33 fitted over the end of stud 3i] remote from arm I 6. The hose 33 may be pneumatically connected to any convenient means for creating subatmospheric pressures, such for instance as a pump which is preferably effective continuously throughout the loom cycle to create a partial vacuum within the passage 32.

The head has a thread engaging hook member 35 and a thread stopping or limiting finger member 36. An air passage 31 in the head radiates from the stud 3H and leads to an intake mouth 38 which is close to the point at which the hook 35 joins the main body 39 of the head H. The stud 38 has a barrel 4!] between arm l6 and a shoulder 4| on the stud on which the head H turns. Barrel 40 has a port 42 opening laterally from the air passage 32 and is provided with peripheral circumferentially extending grooves or channels 43 and 44 of less cross sectional area than and communicating with the port 42. It is to be understood that the port and air channels 43 and 44 are of less width than the width of the head, see for instance in Fig. 5, so that the stud has ample bearing surface for supporting the head pivotally thereon.

An operating means for the head includes a rod 45 the lower end of which is pivoted on a stud 46 secured to the head at a point spaced from the axis of stud 30. The upper end of rod 45 is secured to a fitting 41 pivoted on a stud 48 on the stand 50 spaced forwardly from stud II.

In operation, when the parts are in their normal positions lever arm l6 will be forward and the head 1-1 will be in such position that the thread hook 35 will project forwardly below the intake mouth 38, and the thread stop finger 36 will be above the hook 35, see Fig. 2. The air passage 37 will communicate with the reduced air channel 43 so that only a small stream of air will move from the intake mouth 38 along passage 31 through the channel 43 and port 42 into the air passage 32. When a weft replenishing operation of the loom is initiated arm I6 will move rearwardly to the left from the position shown in Fig. 1 and rod 45 will cause the head to rock on stud 33 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2 so that the head will reach the set position shown in Fig. 8 when the magazine is ready for a replenishing operation. At this time a thread T corresponding to the outgoing bobbin will extend from the cloth selvage along the lay into the shuttle box to shuttle S.

When moving from the normal idle forward position shown in Fig. 1 toward the set position shown in Fig. 8 the head will cause its thread passage 3'! to register with the port 42 and as the head H finally reaches its set position the passage 31 will communicate with channel 44. While the head is in the position shown in Fig. 8, therefore, only a small stream of air can pass through the channel 44 and there will be relatively little leakage in the pneumatic system to which the remover is connected.

When the head is in its set position as shown in Fig. 8 the hook will be in high position pointing downwardly above the lay. At this time the lay is in rearward position, and as it advances the shuttle will enter the shuttle box and thread T will pass under the head H and the sto finger 33 will limit forward motion of the thread.

If bobbin transfer is normal due to proper boxing of the shuttel the head H will remain in the position shown in Fig. 8 until the advancing curved surface 26 engages the rear edge 2i of detector 20. After this engagement occurs continued forward motion of the lay will move the detector in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 to move the shaft 2 back'to its normal position and as the shaft is reset it will cause rod Hi to move down to rock lever l2 in a counter-clockwise direction, Fig. 1, to move arm I6 and head H forwardly. During this forward motion of the head the lever arm l6 and rod 45 will cooperate to swing head H around stud to move the hook along a path which starts from .plane substantially at right angles to the lay.

As the head reaches the position shown in Fig. 9 where the thread is close to the intake mouth 38 the passage 37 will be in register with the port 42 and the full efiect of the subatmospheric pressures in the passage 32 will be available for pneumatically attracting the thread. This full opening of the air passage between the port 42 and the bore 37 in the head occurs only momentarily, and as the head continues toward its normal forward position the small air channel 43 again comes into register with the passage 31 to reduce the amount of air which can pass through the head H. When the head H has fully returned to its normal position hook 35 will be under the thread T and will be pointing forwardly.

Provision must be made for cutting the thread from the shuttle and also from the cloth C. As shown herein a cutter blade 56 is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 10 in the position it will assume on a bobbin changing operation of the loom while the lay L is in rearward position and its reed R is spaced from the fell F of the cloth. As the lay moves from the position shown in Fig. 10 to its front center position shown in Fig. 11 the cutter will sever the thread T adjacent to the shuttle eye E, at about the time air passage 31 is in register with port 42, and the right hand part 52 of the thread will be drawn into the remover. At a later time in the loom operation the temple cutter 5| or its equivalent will cut the thread from the cloth C, and the left hand part 53 of the thread will then be drawn into the remover.

When the thread is cut at the shuttle it is likely due to its resilience to snap or spring toward the head H. At this time, however, the hook 35 and stop finger 36 will both be near or embedded slightly in the plush 28 and the thread will be confined within a space, such as that designated at 55, Fig. 9. and will be prevented from escaping from the zone of influence of the subatmospheric pressures at mouth 38.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention sets forth a pneumatic thread remover having a head which is moved angularly on the stud 36 during a thread pick-up operation and also is moved bodily forwardly as the lever arm It returns to its normal position. During the thread pick-up operation beginning when head H is in it set position the hook 35 starts from a high point rearward of the thread as shown in Fig. 8 and moves down and forwardly to a position under the thread, this motion being due to cooperation of the rod it and lever arm 15. The head then continu s forwardly from the position shown for instance in Fig. 9 and is returned to thenormalposition shown in Fig.1 with thehook 35 under the thread to support it. This operation is due to lifting of the shuttle detector 20 by the lay and is completed at front center. When the head is in its normal idle position and also in its fully set position preparatory to a thread pick-up operation the passage 31 is in register with one or the other of the channels '43 or 44 so that only a small amount of air can leak through the system. When the head reaches an intermediate position the port 42 is momentarily in register with the passage 31 and an increased column of air moves through the head H to attract the thread T. This registry of passage 3'! with port 42 occurs preferably at about the time the thread is cut at the shuttle, and will result in only a slight reduction in pneumatic pressure in any system to which the pipe or hose 33 is connected. The hook 35 moves along a downwardly curved path close to the back box plate 25 to insure engagement of the thread. The thread stop finger 35 limits forward motion of the thread and together with hook 35 and the plush 28 confines the thread to a small space in which it can be attracted pneumatically when the passage 31 and port 42 are in register. Furthermore, the invention sets forth a simple unit mounted on support II] which can be readily attached to existing looms.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention and 'in what manner the same is to be performed, what is claimed is:

1. In a pneumatic thread remover unit for a reserve bobbin magazine, said unit comprising a support for attachment to the magazine, a lever pivotally mounted on said support movable relatively thereto from a normal position to an abnormal position and back to normal position, a thread removing head having an air and thread intake mouth therein in which subatmoispheric pressures can be created, a pivotal mounting on the lever for the head, a hook on the head adjacent to said intake mouth, and operating means for the head operatively connecting said support to said head, the hook on said head being below the intake mouth when the lever is in normal position and said lever and operating means cooperating to rock the head on said pivotal mounting to move the hook to a position in which the latter is depending from the mouth when the lever moves to said abnormal position thereof, said lever and operating means effective when the lever returns to the normal position thereof to cause bodily movement of the head and also angular movement of the head on said pivotal mounting to cause the hook to move back to a position in which it is under said mouth.

2. The thread remover unit set forth in claim 1 wherein said pivotal mounting is hollow and is in pne'niatic commrnication with said mouth.

3. The unit set forth in claim 1 wherein said head has an air passage therein leading from said mouth to said pivotal mounting and the latter is hollow and has a port therein which registers with said air passage only when the lever is in a position intermediate the normal and abnormal positions thereof.

l. The unit set forth in claim 3 wherein the pivotal mounting has an air channel therein on eachside of and communicating with said port 5. The unit set forth in claim 1 wherein the operating means comprises a rod one end of which is pivoted to said support at a point spaced from the axis of the lever and the other end of which is pivoted to said head at a point spaced from said pivoted connection.

6. In a weft replenishing loom having a stationary part and a lay along which a thread extends, a thread removing unit comprising a lever movable about an axis fixed with respect to the loom from normal position to an abnormal position and back to normal position incident to a weft replenishing operation of the loom, a hollow pivot on the lever in which subatrnospheric pressures exist, a pneumatic thread removing head mounted on the hollow pivot for angular movement thereon from normal position to set position and back to normal position on a weft replenishing beat of the loom, operating means for the head operatively connecting the latter and said stationary part of the loom effective to rock the head on said hollow pivot from the normal position thereof to said set position thereof when the lever moves from the normal position thereof to the abnormal position thereof, the head having an air passage therein communicating with the interior of the hollow pivot and terminating in a thread and air intake mouth, and a hook on the head adjacent to the mouth, the head when in the abnormal position thereof locating said hook at a point above and rearward of the thread and said lever and operating means cooperating when said lever moves from the abnormal to the normal position thereof to rock said head on said hollow pivot and move said hook in a path extending downwardly and forwardly from said point under the thread and then forwardly simultaneously with forward bodily motion of the head.

7. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay along which a thread extends, a lever pivoted on the loom moving from the normal position thereof rearwardly toward the lay to an abnormal position and then moving forwardly to normal position on a weft replenishing beat of the loom, a hollow stud on the lever substantially parallel to the lay and in which subatmospheric pressures exist, said stud having therein a port communicating with the interior of the stud and having a peripheral circuinferentially extending channel communicating with each side of said port, a thread remover head pivoted on the stud having an air passage therein for registry with said port and said channels and having a thread intake mouth for said thread at one end of the passage, said passage registering with one of said channels when the lever is in the normal position thereof, and means effective when the lever moves to the abnormal position thereof to rock said head on said stud to cause said passage to register with the other channel, said means effective to cause said passage to register with said port when the lever is in an intermediate position only between said normal and abnormal positions thereof.

8. In a weft replenishing loom having a thread extending from a shuttle along a lay to the cloth, a lever pivoted on the loom moving from a normal forward position rearwardly toward the lay to an abnormal position and then back to normal position on a weft replenishing beat of a loom, a pneumatic thread remover head pivoted on the lever, a thread hook on the head, a thread stop finger on the head, said head having a pneumatic thread and air intake mouth between said hook and finger in which subatmospheric pressures exist, operating means efiective when the lever moves from the abnormal position thereof toward the normal position thereof to rock said head on the lever to a position such that the thread will be between the hook and finger and under-said head and located to be attracted by said subatmospheric pressures, an thread cutter means to cut the thread at the shuttle when the head isin said position thereof.

9. The structure set forth in claim 8 wherein said operating means causes said head to move to said position thereof while the lay and thread are moving forwardly.

10. The structure set forth in claim 8 wherein means acting due to rocking of the head on said lever increases the effect of the su'batmospheric pressures to attract the thread.

11; The structure set forth in claim 8 wherein the lay has a mass of pile fabric embedded therein across which the thread extends and said hook and finger overhang the pile of fabric when the head is in said position thereof.

12. In a pneumatic thread remover for the outgoing thread extending along the lay of a weft replenishing loom having a fixed part, a lever which moves about an axis from normal position to an abnormal position and then returns to normal position by the time the lay reaches front center on a replenishing operation of the loom, a thread remover head, a pivotal mounting for the head on the lever spaced from said axis, a thread hook on the head, operative connections between the head and said fixed part of the loom causing the head to rock on said pivotal mounting to move said hook to a position above and rearward of the thread when the lever moves to said abnormal position, said lever' when returning to normal position causing bodily forward motion of the head and simultaneously cooperating with said operative connections to cause rockin of the head on said pivotal mounting in a direction to move said hook downwardly and forwardly under the thread as the lay moves forwardly, and a pneumatic thread and air intake mouth in said head adjacent to said hook effective to attract the thread pneumatically.

13. In a pneumatic thread remover for a thread replenishing loom having a thread to be removed extending along a lay and having a shuttle position detector which moves from the normal position thereof to a detecting position when a replenishing operation is initiated and is then returned to normal position by the lay as the latter moves forwardly, a pneumatic thread remover head normally forward of the thread having an air and thread intake mouth therein, a thread hook on the head adjacent to said mouth, lever means mounted for pivotal rearward movement toward the lay and return forward movement, a pivotal mounting on the lever for the head for moving the head bodily rearwardly with the lever toward the lay and for angular motion on and relative to the lever, setting mechanism connected to the lever and detector causing the latter when moving to the detecting position thereof to cause the lever to give the head a rearward bodily movement toward the thread, means connected to the head cooperating with the lever causing the'head to rock relative to the lever to position said hook above and rearward of the thread simultaneous with said rearward bodily movement of the head by the lever, said detector when returning to normal position operative through said setting mechanism to cause said lever and means to co- 9 operate to move the head angularly relative to and bodily with lever to move the hook downwardly behind and under the thread to move the latter forwardly and along said hook toward said mouth.

JOHN T. KENNEDY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Darwin Oct. 29, 19 10 Hooper et a1. Dec. 9, 1947 Peterson Sept. 20, 1949 Turner Aug. 29, 1950 

